A two-part podcast after a week’s break, focussing on the past weekend’s Taça de Portugal fourth round ties and Portugal’s successful World Cup play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In the Taça, Sporting’s new manager Carlos Carvalhal got a victory from his first game in charge of the Leões, but only after quite a scare as their opponents, Pescadores da Costa de Caparica, went into the break with a 1-0 lead. Sporting’s Lisbon rivals Benfica were dumped out of the Cup at home to Vitória de Guimarães thanks to a goal from Gustavo Lazaretti. There were other shock exits, too, with Leiria, Leixões and Académica all being defeated by lower league opposition.
In part 2, we talk about Portugal and Bosnia-Herzegovina. We ask just where Raul Meireles found his form after playing so poorly all season, and why did the Bosnian football authorities show such disrespect to Portugal?
Please let us know your thoughts about the podcast and give us your predictions for this weekend’s Lisbon clássico (Sporting v Benfica).
Thanks for listening,
Steve and Phil
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A colleague at work was saying that he thought Benfica would beat Sporting 5-0. I told him to put his money where his mouth was and suggested a 5 euro bet. He got worried suddenly, lowered the scoreline to 3-0, but upped the stake to 10 euros.
How many bifanas will I be abe to buy with 10 euros, Steve?
It usually costs €2.50 for a bifana Phil, but eating 4 bifanas isn’t going to do you much good.
I’m very worried about the game, the atmosphere amongst the Sporting players in training looks great – like an enormous cloud has been lifted from them.
One thing I would be certain about is that I think it will be a very high-scoring game.
I am blogging from the away end at Olhanense, there are currently 18 of us! I’ve confused them by not speaking much Portuguese. The stadium reminds me of Stockport County.
Hope you enjoyed the game Carlos, Targino was awesome, he reminds me of Hulk during that brief period last season when he was actually good. I thought Targino was Brazilian, but according to Wikipedia his father’s Brazilian but Targino was born and brought up in Portugal and played for Portguese U21. Going by his last 3 games, I think big things could be in store for this guy.
I was thinking exactly the same thing, Steve. More performances like that and he has to be in Queiroz’s thinking for South Africa. His goal was stupendous.
Phil
Very enjoyable thanks, really impressed with the Vitória team spirit and Nilson’s organisation of the defence.
The Casa do Benfica de Olhão is right next to the stadium and do a great bifana!
Back in Blighty now and it’s freezing. Looking forward to tonight’s game.
Just seen, alas, only the last 15 minutes of Sporting-Benfica. I stand to be corrected by anyone who watched the other 75, but it seemed really lethargic and with a complete lack of urgency from both teams. Did they settle on a 0-0 beforehand?
The game only really got going in the last half hour, I enjoyed the spell between Miguel Veloso’s great shot (about 56m) and the open goal miss of Ramires (about 20 minutes later) but the rest of the game was like footballing Xanax – especially the first half, which was instantly forgettable.
A point definitely suited both teams in my opinion.
“A point definitely suited both teams in my opinion”
Not sure Sporting who are 11 points behind Benfica could afford anything but a win to be honest.
I agree with the comments about the game though, very poor to say the least! Not even much controversy to talk about during the next week
Do you still believe your boys have a chance of winning the title Matt? In my opinion 3 points would’ve been great for Sporting, but the most important thing was to avoid any kind of humiliation and win some faith from the supporters towards Carvalhal. With Sporting still very much in the running for 3 cup competitions under the command of a manager who produces teams who are very hard to beat, a boring point gives Sporting supporters a reason to be hopeful more than cheerful.
And for Benfica, it’s a difficult game against any team under the command of a new manager, let alone Sporting. If Bento were in charge, 0-0 would be seen as a failure, but under the current circumstances, it will do.
Porto v Rio Ave is going to be a huge game tonight, probably the most important of the season for Porto. If they drop points tonight it may be the last blow to their confidence they can stand.
You are right Steve, humiliation was avoided and I do not think Sporting have any chance of winning the title (I thought the same before a ball was kicked this season)
I guess Braga and Porto are the real winners from the weekend, will be interesting to see if Braga can win tonight and go 2 points clear.
Many Sportinguistas are just hoping anyone besides Benfica can win the title, I am at least.
Braga 1-0 Leiria at half time. Braga pretty much on top, but have potentially dangerously not finished things off yet. Djuricic seems a decent goalkeeper, apart from the silly goal. Ouattara may well either score a screamer or get sent off second half.
Easy 2-0 in the end, Leiria never pushed on, and Braga were comfortable. Joao Pereira was half-decent.
Ok … even bearing in mind that União were a bit weedy on the night, Braga did look impressive for long spells on Monday. Their passing game is a delight, and they have so many players who can cause danger around the goal. (Mossoró was my Man of the Match)
They’re now two points ahead of Benfica, who have a tricky game next weekend against Académica, and that after a trip to Bate Borisov midweek, while Braga themselves visit the struggling Leixões.
What’s the betting they haven’t extended their lead by this time next week?
Phil
In my opinion it was the first Braga game I’ve watched this season where they played liked convincing champions. Like Phil says, the passing was a delight to watch and there was a moment in the game when Mossoró received a poor aerial ball in midfield, controlled it with his back to goal and with one touch managed to face goal and take the ball past the players marking him. It was incredible.
Agree about Académica next week, but put simply, if Benfica can’t win this sort of game they don’t deserve to be champions. Académica haven’t got a very impressive record on the road under Villas Boas so Benfica will be expected to win.
The clássico was anything but a classic. I was very disappointed with Benfica, they just didn’t seem to want to take the initiative. I felt if they’d used their width, Sporting were there for the taking, Di Maria had the beating of the full back whenever he wanted. However they just seemed happy to absorb any pressure from Sporting and hit them on the break. At the back Benfica looked very solid to me and never looked like conceding, Sporting were full of effort but didn’t have anything in the final 3rd which looked like creating a clear cut chance.
If Benfica really want the title, surely they have to be more ruthless??
During the game I thought Benfica were the more dominant team, but in the endless re-running of highlights Portuguese TV overindulges in following any clássico, it seemed quite clearly that Sporting were the team who created the better chances. Pedro Silva had a terrible game for Sporting when he came on and was ripped a new one by Di Maria on countless occasions. But it’s same old same old with Di Maria: a couple of step overs, the odd run into the box but he produces little and is guaranteed to start sulking and looking at the bench with 15 minutes to go in the hope he’ll be substituted.
Just in case anyone is wondering where this week’s podcast is, I had some major dental surgery yesterday (two front teeth extracted – ouch!) so we’ll be recording it tomorrow (Wednesday). Hopefully my lisping will have subsided by then.
Manuel Machado (Nacional’s coach) is in a state of induced coma after undergoing a liposuction of operation…
Phil, tricky game at home against Académica? What’s so tricky about it?
Académica are rubbish and they have the most over-rated manager in the whole universe, parallel worlds and hidden dimensions included.
“liposuction of operation”… forgot to write abdomen
Come on Nuno, Académica are looking very good indeed. I don’t think they’ll win next week but it won’t be a walk in the park either.
Worrying news about Machado indeed, from personal experience, when a coma is induced after a patient is infected during surgery positive outcomes are unfortunately seldom.
Touch wood for Manuel Machado – sounds horrific. Septicemia, apparently … and the SportTv report said that he’ll be out for the rest of the season … that’s if he recovers …
“Phil, tricky game at home against Académica? What’s so tricky about it?”
Apart from anything else (organisation, new spirit), one word, Nuno: Sougou. He’s my favourite player in the Liga, and I just can’t understand why no big club has signed him. He’s going to rip apart whichever invented left back Jorge Jesus uses. If it’s his teacher’s pet César Peixoto … then woe betide Benfica.
Phil